Convertible article of furniture



Jan. 11, 1938. L, CQHN r AL 2,105,408

CONVERTIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Dec. 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rso Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Louis I. Cohn and Albin J. Brinkman, Philadelphia, Pa., assigncrs to Spiers Bedding Corporation, Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania a corporation of Application December 29, 1936, Serial No. 118,162

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a convertible article of furniture and has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an article of the class referred to capable of being conveniently converted from a studio couch into a bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a convertible article of furniture including an outer section and an inner section, the former constituting a housing for normally closing the latter and of bed height. The inner section is capable of being disposed in extended relation with respect to the outer section and it includes a pivoted element for swinging to a position to make the inner section of bed height and to coact with the outer section to form a bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a convertible article of furniture capable of being conveniently converted from a studio couch into a bed and with the article so constructed whereby a seveninch inner-spring mattress can be used as an element thereof in lieu of an inner-spring mattress of four or five inches as now generally employed in articles of the class to which this invention belongs.

A'further object of the invention is to provide, .in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an article of furniture of the class referred to including a ;normally housed frame for a turnable carrier means for an inner-spring mattress, and a foldable support connected with the carrier means and providing when the frame is in extended relation with respect to its housing means what may be termed a fifth leg for supporting the carrier means horizontally from the transverse center of the latter to position the mattress thereon at bed height.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an article of furniture in the class referred to including an .inner mattress supporting frame and with the latter so formed as to provide for a mattress of increased length to be used with respect to the length of the mattresses now employed in articles of the class to which this invention belongs.

A further object of the invention is to provide,

in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an article of furniture of the class referred to including a stationary section and a shiftab-le section and with the shiftable section having as an element thereof a foldable combined head rest and a supporting leg for supporting the shiftable section substantially at the transverse center of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a convertible article of furniture of the class referred to including an outer section of bed height and an inner section capable of being easily shifted from within the outer section and extended to bed height whereby the said sections coact to provide a bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a convertible article of furniture of the class referred to including what may be termed an upper spring mattress preferably of seven inches high and a lower spring mattress preferably seven inches high and with means whereby the inner-spring mattress;

may be easily positioned and supported flush with the top of the upper spring mattress and with the mattresses coacting to provide a bed.

Further objects of the invention are to provide in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a convertible article of furniture of the class referred to which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, expeditiously and conveniently converted from a studio couch into a bed, readily assembled, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and lighter in Weight with respect to the articles of the class to which this invention belongs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically described and are as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is Shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is-an elevation of an article of furniture in accordance with this invention looking towards the back thereof,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the inner section in extended relation to the outer section,

Figure 3 is a view looking towards one side of the article of furniture when extended,

Figure 4 is a section through the inner section of the article on line 44, Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional plan on line 55, Figure 2, 1

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6, Figure 2, ofthe inner section of the article when extended, and

Figure 7 is a section on line 'l'l, Figure 2 of the inner section of the article when extended.

The article of furniture includes a housing or outer section I and carried thereby is a covered upper spring mattress 2 preferably of seven inches in height. The mattress is mounted upon the housing I. The latter is opened at its back as indicated at 3. The article of furniture includes an inner section or inner-spring mattress support generally indicated at 4. The inner section 4 is normally housing within the outer section I. The sections I and 4 may be disposed in adjusted relation whereby the section 4 will extend from the back of the section I as is shown in Figures 3 and 5. The sections I and 4 are slidably connected together and for such purpose a pair of links 5, 6 are employed. The links cross each other and are pivotally connected together as at I. The link 5 is pivotally connected to the section I as at 8 and slidably connected to the section 4 as at 9. The link 6 is slidably connected to the section I as at I9 and pivotally connected to the section 4 as at II. The links are normally housed within the section Ii and are of a length to permit the section 4 to assume the position shown in Figure 5. The section I may be pulled forwardly from over the section 4, or the latter may be pulled rearwardly from the open back of the section I. The latter at each side thereof has supporting legs I2, I3. The section I includes a bar I4 arranged therein.

The pivot 8 for link 5 is connected to bar I4.

A groove I5 is formed in bar I4 for the slidable connection Ill. The top of section I is in the form of a bed bottom of the spring type, but this is not so shown as it is concealed by the cover of the section I and supports the mattress. 2.

The section 4 includes a supporting frame formed of a pair of inverted U-shaped side cheeks I6, ll of like form and each of which is formed from a strap of metallic material of rectangular cross section at any point throughout its length. Each of said side cheeks includes a head I8, a front leg I9 and a rear leg 20. The legs I9 of the cheeks I6, I! are connected together by a brace bar 2I. The pivot II of the link 6 is connected to the bar 2|. The latter is provided with a slot 22 for the slidable connection 9. The legs I9 of the side cheeks I6, I! are also connected together by an upper brace bar 23. The legs 29 of the cheeks I6, I! are connected by a lower brace bar 24 which provides a support for the inner mattress to be referred to when the section 4 is housed. The bar 23 is arranged at the upper end of the front of said structure and constitutes a support for a purpose to'be referred to. That portion of the back of said structure above the bar 24 provides a passage for a purpose to be referred to.

The section 4 includes a pair of oppositely disposed angle irons 25, 26 disposed in transverse relation with respect to section 4 and each of which includes a vertical leg 21 and a horizontal leg 28 extending inwardly from the upper end of the leg 21. Between the transverse center and outer end of the angle irons 25, 26 there are provided pivots 29, 30 respectively which are connected to the heads I8 of the cheek members at the vertical medians of said heads whereby the angle irons 25, 26, are eccentrically pivoted at the sides thereof to the cheek members and in this connection attention is directed to Figure 3.

Each of the angle irons provides what may be termed a carrier which is normally disposed in an inverted position. When in inverted position the carriers constitute suspensions for a spring bed bottom to be referred to and when moved one end of the head portion 44.

from normal to righted position provide supports for holding the bed bottom horizontally in upwardly extended relation with respect to the heads I8 of the side cheeks. Spacing means 3| are mounted on the pivots 29, 30 and interposed between the cheek members and the angle irons 25, 26. When the angle irons 25, 26 are in the position shown in Figure 3, the rear ends thereof are spaced forwardly of the legs 26 and the forward ends thereof are spaced forwardly from the legs I9. When the irons 25, 26 are in the position shown in Figure 3, they extend in close proximity to the back of section I, but the legs I9 of the cheek members are spaced from such back.

Fixedly secured to and bodily movable with the irons 25, 26 is a bed bottom 32 upon which is suitably connected a spring mattress 33 of a height corresponding to the mattress 2. The irons 25, 26 in connection with the bed bottom 32 form a rotary holder for the mattress 33. The holder is to be selectively shifted to right side up and right side down positions for respectively supporting mattress 33 above the side cheeks I6, I1 and for suspending it below the tops of and between said cheeks. Preferably the mattress 33 will be seven inches in height.

Fixed, to the lower face of the bed bottom 32 is a pair of oppositely disposed spaced parallel angle-shaped brackets-34 which are disposed on the transverse median of bed bottom 32. Pivotally connected to the brackets 34 is a leg forming member 35 formed from a strap of metallic material to provide a skeleton leg 36 substan- W connected to the other bracket 34 as at 39. Se-

cured to the lower face of the bed bottom 32 between the brackets 34 and cheek member I! is a transversely disposed bar 40 having its ends formed with depending flanges M, 42. Pivotally connected to the flanges 4|, 42 is a foldable and eXten-dible skeleton head rest forming element 43 which provides a means for shifting the leg 36 to and from supporting position and also functions as a retaining means for the mattress 33.

The element 43 includes a head portion 44, side portions 45, 46 and a link 41. The side portion 45 is of less length than the side portion 46. The upper part of the side portion 46 is formed of a pair of stretches 48, 49 disposed at opposite inclinations and with the stretch 49 merging into The stretch 48 is inturned at its lower end as at 50 and loosely extends through the flange 42. The in turned portion of the stretch 48 merges into a depending stretch 5! which has one end of the link 4! pivotally connected therewith as at 52. The other end of the link 4'! is pivotally connected as at 53 to the outer portion 54 of the leg 36. The side portion 45 of element 43 is of a contour similar to that of the stretches 48, 49

tion I, the rotary holder with mattress 33 thereon is turned from the right side up position (Figure 3) to the right side down position (Figure 1). Prior to the turning of the holder from right side up to right side down the element 43 is shifted from its position (Figure 3) to its position (Figure 1) whereby leg 33 will bear against the lower face of bed bottom 32 and element 43 will bend against mattress 33. When the rotary holder is right side up it rests on pivots 29, leg 36 and bar 23, but when right side down it rests on pivots 29 and bar 24. When element 43 is shifted to the position (Figure 1), link 41 and leg 36 have passed the position of alignment and taken a locking position beyond the dead center where they will stay and hold down element 43 on the mattress until the link 41 and leg 36 are manually released by the shifting of element 43 to the position (Figure 3).

When section 4 is arranged in extended relation with respect to the back of section I and with section 4 folded in the manner as shown in Figure 1, then bed bottom 32 is turned on its pivots rightside up carrying the mattress 33 there- 'with. The element 43 is shifted in a manner to assume the position shown in Figure 2 whereby element 35 will be moved in the direction to dispose the leg 33 in supporting position such as shown in Figures 2 and 3. When element 43 is shifted to dispose leg 36 in supporting position the head and side portions of element 43 will be arranged in a manner to provide a head rest such as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The leg 36 constitutes what may be termed a fifth leg for section 4, the other four legs being provided by the cheek members IE, IT. The passage formed on the back of the section 4 provides a clearance for the carriers when they are swung from inverted to righted position and from righted position to inverted position. When the carriers are turned to righted position they seat on the bar 23.

What we claim is:

In an article of furniture, a frame-like structure having the upper end of its front formed with a support, its top open throughout, the upper portion of its back open throughout to provide a passage and a pair of vertical spaced parallel side cheeks constituting supports therefor, a pair of spaced parallel normally inverted carriers of like form and each of angled contour in cross section to provide a vertical and a horizontal leg, said carrier opposing the upper end portion of the inner faces of said cheeks, means for pivotally connecting said vertical legs to said cheeks, bed forming means fixed to said horizontal legs, said carriers when in inverted position suspending said bed forming means within said structure below the upper ends of said cheeks and when turned to righted position through said passage seating on said support and disposing said bed forming means horizontally above said cheeks, and a shiftable unit forming a foldable and extendible head rest extending across the top of said bed forming means and a foldable and extendible supporting leg for, arranged below and positioned intermediate the ends of said bed forming means, said unit including connections between the head rest and leg to provide for their shifting in unison, said unit being pivotally connected to the bottom of said bed forming means at spaced points of said bottom and when shifted in one direction simultaneously extending said head rest and leg and in the opposite direction simultaneously folding said head. rest and leg, said leg when extended to supporting position being disposed below'the back of said structure.

LOUIS I. COHN. ALBIN J. BRINKMAN. 

